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Cistophorus of Mark Antony

Roman (Artist)
39 BCE (Roman Republican)
silver; struck

Obverse: Head of Mark Antony, right, laureate; lituus (ceremonial trumpet) below; border wreath of ivy and flowers. Reverse: Head of Octavia, right, over cista (basket), flanked by snakes.

There are explicitly Bacchic references present on this coin. The cista with snakes was associated with the cult of Dionysus (compare the same imagery on the Bacchus Sarcophagus 23.31). On the obverse, the wreath of ivy and flowers also has strong Bacchic connotations.

Inscription

[Inscription, Latin, struck; obverse] M(arcus) ANTONIVS IMP(erator) CO(n)S(ul) DESIG(natus) ITER(um) ET TERT(ium) [Translation] Marcus Antonius, Imperator, consul designate for the second and third time [Inscription, Latin, struck; reverse: III VIR R(ei) P(ublicae) C(onstituendae) [Translation] Triumvir for the restoration of the Republic
REV: III VIR R(ei) P(ublicae) C(onstituendae) [translation: Triumvir for the restoration of the Republic]

Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

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Geographies

Turkey, Ephesus (Place of Origin)

Measurements

Max diam: 1 1/8 in. (2.85 cm); axis 1:00

Credit Line

Acquired by Henry Walters

Location in Museum

Not on view

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

59.22

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